Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Alex Deleon BERLIN 66 Reviews by Alex. Panorama. image1.jpeg "The Fabulous Baker Boys" 1989, by first time director Steve Kloves who later made the Harry Potter films. Seen as part of a retrospective of the films of famed Berlin born DOP, Michael Ballhaus, Now 82, who gets a Silver Bear this year for his life's work as a dependable Hollywood cinematographer who worked with many top directors. This however isn't one of the.Film features the real life brothers Beau and Jeff Bridges as two fictional Brothers, Frank and Jack Baker, who are not particularly fabulous but play dual back-to-back jazzy piano gigs at cheap night spots in Seattle. Whe the jobs get slim they decide that they need a female singer to liven up their fading act. After many hopeless auditions guess who turns up -- an incredibly scruffed down Michelle Pfeiffer who happens to have a knockout voice like a white Billie Holiday and a very come hither stage presentation. Her dynamic style injects new life into the Baker Boys act with a highlight reached when she drapes herself all over Jeff's grand piano as if copulating with the instrument during a sensational singing number -- "Making Whoopee" -- the memorable high point of a fundamentally forgettable picture.Unfortunately, for the rest of the film, although she has become pianist Jeff Bridges' lover and there are extended groping and snuggling scenes between them -- there is, oddly enough, no screen Chemistry between them -- zilch -- and the film dies a slow death from there. Whether it was the direction or some kind of real disattraction is hard to say, but despite the fact that both Jeff and Michele are at the height of their early screen attractiveness what one sees on screen is sheer mechanical sham. One device overly used in the Film is Jeff constantly with a lit cigarette in his mouth as if he were supposed to be Bogart in Casablanca or Gainsbourg in Paris. It just doesn't fit his look or personality and everything else in the picture including Pfeiffer's overdone raggedness is out of kilter. Even the Ballhaus cinematography is nothing to write home about. The brothers end up hassling each other heavily for no good dramatic reason and in the end Bridges rejects Pfeiffer, or was it the other way around? Anyway, she walks off into driftlessness as the picture finally ends. I normally like Bridges movies but this was a surprising disappointment from every angle considering the promising cast. One down and many more to go in a packed festival week.

namashi_1 Steve Kloves 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' is indeed a Fabulous film, with a terrific screenplay as it's trump card. A story of two brothers struggling to make a living as lounge jazz pianists in Seattle. In desperation, they take on a female singer, who revitalizes their careers, causing the brothers to re-examine their relationship with each other and with their music.'The Fabulous Baker Boys' has everything going for it, the direction by Kloves is simply outstanding. He keeps hooked all the time, in fact it's amongst the best I've seen from the 80's. Michael Ballhaus's cinematography is remarkable, so is William Steinkamp's editing.Coming the to acting department, Jeff Bridges steals the show. He's fantastic, as always. Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent, this truly is amongst her best works. Beau Bridges is great, so sad no one has seen much of this gifted actor.On the whole, this one's a must watch. Strongly Reccmended!

Chrysanthepop What I liked about 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' is the subtlety with which the story is presented. Writer and director Steve Kowes takes his time in telling the story but this allows the viewer to explore the layers. It gives a detailed 'profile' of the characters. The film very much is a character study as well as a story of two musician brothers. The dialogues are well written, full of wit, humour and depth. The atmosphere of music and struggling in showbiz is well created. It brings a nostalgic gloomy feel of the 70s and 80s but it ends on a positive note. The mise en scene is marvelous. The soundtrack is a classic. I loved the piano pieces and of course the famous 'Makin Whoopy' (which is beautifully shot) sung by a sensual Michelle Pfeiffer.The Bridges brothers and Ms. Pfeiffer are fantastic. The fragile relationship between the Baker brothers and the nuances and quirks are well depicted. Jeff portrays the angry quiet one who doesn't take crap from anyone and who is deeply passionate about the music while Beau is the more 'responsible' one, cleaning up the messes, booking the shows and having other priorities before music. Enters a fiery and brutally honest (but with a sense of humour) Pfeiffer who changes their lives.The story is fictional but the title gives the impression of being a biopic which it's not. On the surface 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' may look like a story about romance and a fragile relationship between two brothers but the underlying central theme is a lot darker. There was a time when the brothers shared their passion for music but along the way and throughout the years priorities changed and a resentment grew between them. It's Suzie Diamond who points that out to Jack.'The Fabulous Baker Boys' gave me more than I expected. After seeing it, I got the feeling that this was one movie I didn't know that I wanted to watch.

Framescourer In a curious case of life imitating art, casting real brothers Beau and Jeff Bridges as the lounge pianists Frank and Jack Baker is a super idea for chemical reasons. The ease and tension in the two men's connection is utterly natural and really draws you into this low-level romcom.The double act realises that, professionally, it needs a shot in the arm - the men probably understand that they need some sort of novelty to reinvigorate them as well, as the act not only pales for the diminishing customer base but also hangs heavily on them. Pfeiffer's Susie Diamond is almost too brash to be true (it's clear the writer-director Kloves had Desperately Seeking-Madonna in mind) but the combined talents of Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges pull it off.It's odd as the film is principally remembered for a set piece in which Susie gives a sexually electric performance of Makin' Whoopee on a piano in a red dress. This is by no means the highlight of the film, although it neatly demonstrates how a little bit of circus magic, such as the Baker Boys consciously import to their act, goes a long way. That's showbiz. 5/10